Finally: Venom VB-303 v1.00

[antto]

well, there's near zero interest
i know of just 2-3 bugs which are more related to the authenticity of the sequencer (in other words, not something critical)
otherwise i haven't had any feedback about features or even questions
as you can see, most people simply want the damn midi play mode

but surely the plugin isn't complete yet, as it lacks a bunch of things which i had in the original plan:
1) pattern manipulators
2) MIDI-Trigger mode (trigger individual patterns via midi notes like the old beta version, this will only work in Host Sync mode)
3) alternative pattern editing mode which will be "mouse-friendly" (this is a relatively new idea and i haven't thought about whether it can fit nicely with the UI layout)

probably #2 and #3 will be designed to work together
the manual isn't final either, it covers the basic features

i've left vb-303 for a moment and concentrated around my x0x firmware (already got some decent progress there)

[Halma]

...

yeah, this thing requires some amount of learning
specifically the button mapping is something that gets in the way, but i tried my best to come up with a logical layout, so most buttons directly map to the keyboard, and you are only left with 5 or 6 of them which have to be learned
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You did a very good job IMHO. Very intuitive once you get it. First I lay down all my timesettings and after that the notes incl. up/down/acc&slides. Finally C# and play.

Cheers,
Sebastian

[iamyourfather]

Please don't quit on this. Best sounding Emu so far and I think people will use the seq given time, perhaps modify it so a midi keyboard is not required ? IDK.

I found the seq very frustrating for an hour or so but perseverance and the manual got me there and the results are very nice compared to piano roll. I think maybe folk are put off by the initial learning curve but don't realise that once they have got to grips with the int seq, it will take them less time and effort to produce decent sounding patterns.

One or two additions I would like to see...

1. (most important) a shift button to move the start point of patterns so as to create those happy syncopation accidents.

2. (less important) the ability to edit while playing, altho I can sense this would be difficult without changing the whole thing... not a big deal really.

I would like to add for the benefit of those who only want to use the midi piano roll. I have never owned a real 303 or hardware sequencer in my life, I am not used to that way of thinking at all, BUT I tried to figure out the internal sequencer and it was totally worth the effort, the sequencer is a HUGE part of the sound and now that I have done so ... the patterns I get from it are far better than I could make in the piano roll without spending all day tweaking stupid note lengths.

DO IT, IT IS WORTH THE SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME AND EFFORT.

Thankyou Antto, this VST is fantastic

[Davias]

otherwise i haven't had any feedback about features or even questions
as you can see, most people simply want the damn midi play mode

That could mean 2 things :

- your emu is so perfect that i doesn't need any new features ^^
(seems almost everybody is praising it over the commercial concurrence, so except midi play and sometimes a bigger gui, I don't remember someone asking for something else)
- seq mode made people flee so there is nobody to ask for new features

Personally, I love it, now it is in almost every of my project couldn't live without VB-303 sound !! So once again many thanks to your dedication and for releasing this gem and for including a midi mode (even if locked by code ^^).

But the pattern seq... Sorry but I still not use it and I think I will never (but everything can change, who knows ). Like said before, I was a long time user of RB-338 and I just hated the sequencer. I know VB-303 is slightly different but it is just too much time consuming and not good rewarding for me. Because I have no clue about music, and so even if I used the pattern seq, I would end with unusable patterns that will not fit in my projects... The problem is like that for me :
If I program a killer pattern in VB-303, it will just stay alone on my track because I will not be able to write some melody to accompany it. On the opposite when I want to add VB-303 to an existing project and want to follow the existing melody, I just can't reproduce it on the seq. It is a workflow killer to me so I manage with midi play and the damn code (even if it kills the workflow too).

I enjoy now programing patterns with Kirnu, or BlueArp, or anything else, everything please but not the internal seq hahah sorry Antto I need visual feedback to know where my notes are

[iamyourfather]

I have come across an issue of crackling/distortion when using more than one instance of the plugin. I'm using reaper and a focusrite saffire pro 24. Don't know if anyone else has had this issue ?

[antto]

iamyourfather: both things you said are supposed to be there
shifting the pattern is just one of the pattern manipulators
alternative pattern editing and playing modes can be added too

as for crackling, could be usual buffer underruns (VB-303 is not light on the cpu)
or.. some of the distortion algos have biasing internally, so when you switch between them (or restart the synth) it produces a pop/click sound

Davias: "seq mode made people flee" sounds right
i perfectly understand your arguments about the workflow
i've tried to emulate the original sequencer interface more or less, because it has a different workflow, and because no one has done it so far, and i believe no one would (there are good reasons for that)
making the 303 fit the "song" .. i'm not sure if that's common, i think the old acid tracks were all about 303+drums and then maybe using a bit of other synths in the background

so now i tend to start with the 303 line(s) and drums.. and then construct the track around them..
i'm not saying if that's better or not
i just wanted to have it this way for myself, no one else was gonna make it for me

[iamyourfather]

Hi Antto. Yes I found that reloading the program helped a bit, will increase buffer. I get similar probs with Diva sometimes so is most likely a CPU thing, that's what freeze is for.

I just found a quirk, altho maybe I am just doing it wrong. I have trigger on midi 1 and buttons on 2, so I'm selecting which pattern with 2. Nothing fancy, just essentially 1 pattern change half way thru a song is all I want to do. Trouble is that when I have any midi notes coming from channel 2 the sequencer continues playing when the song stops.

Dunno if this is a venom thing or a reaper thing.

[antto]

i guess you're using a long note on channel 2 which is equivalent of pressing and holding the pattern slot button..

while you "hold" a pattern slot button - the VB-303 sequencer is "stuck" in a sub-menu (pattern selection sub-menu) and there it doesn't check for start/stop
the 303 sequencer probably doesn't do that

the solution is - just don't put long notes on channel 2, a short note is enough to select a pattern

this same behaviour happens in all other sub-menus

[iamyourfather]

i guess you're using a long note on channel 2 which is equivalent of pressing and holding the pattern slot button..

while you "hold" a pattern slot button - the VB-303 sequencer is "stuck" in a sub-menu (pattern selection sub-menu) and there it doesn't check for start/stop
the 303 sequencer probably doesn't do that

the solution is - just don't put long notes on channel 2, a short note is enough to select a pattern

this same behaviour happens in all other sub-menus

Heh... makes sense... will try short notes. TYVM

EDIT : it works... nice one.

EDIT EDIT : Now the pattern won't play in time correctly. Ah well, will find a work around as doesn't happen when only channel 1 used.

[mztk]

near zero interest, but a 22 page thread

it sounds great, antto. the beta 2 is officially retired from
service. i still haven't taken the time to figure out the
sequencer, but i'm still having fun letting it load its random
patterns.

[michat]

antto, come on man.... near zero interest?

[antto]

iamyourfather: if you want to start the sequencer immediately (at the beginning of the timeline) - that won't quite work
like in the real world, you have to "prepare" before you hit the RUN button
simply use an empty bar in the timeline of your track where you put the needed preparation (switching the BANK, pressing the pattern slot and so on)
if you're using track mode - this is where you'd press BAR RESET


22 pages - because people were interested at first
till they figured it gives less than it requires from them
i understand that most people are only interested in the sound alone
but as i've already said before, i think half of "the 303 sound" comes from the fact that there is something controlling the synth according to some strict rules
otherwise i don't see why you'd really want to have a brainless (midi-module) 303 synth, you could use something more powerful then, with more synthesis features (that's my own opinion here)

i made a mistake.. i should have disabled midiplay mode completely
if those people who spent time figuring out how to enter the code spend that time to learn how to use the sequencer - maybe they were gonna understand why the piano-roll in your DAW is not ideal for sequencing 303 lines

[Jbravo]

It sounds fantastic. I wouldn't blame you for ditching the midi mode altogether. A visual sequencer/editor would make it easy for anyone to use. I plan to learn how to use it in it's current desgin but after several attempts haven't succeeded but hey it's your creation and I don't think you should compromise your vision of what it should be

[Tux]

i made a mistake.. i should have disabled midiplay mode completely
if those people who spent time figuring out how to enter the code spend that time to learn how to use the sequencer - maybe they were gonna understand why the piano-roll in your DAW is not ideal for sequencing 303 lines

Please don't say that. I think your 303 emulation is the best out there, both in looks and sound and all you have really is done what Roland would have probably done had the 303 been released a year or two later, namely add MIDI play.

I thank you for making such an accurate emulation and am grateful for the MIDI play option as it enables to me get quick lines down that I can tidy up later. As I mentioned before, I am a former 303 owner and more than capable of creating 303 patterns in my DAW and you would not be able to tell if they were internally or externally sequenced. Trust me.

But the ability to program the unit 'internally' is also extremely useful for those who want old school authenticity. And I certainly will be re-acquainting myself with it over the coming months. I've got a bunch of old pattens written down somewhere that I had the foresight to save all those years ago.

[Mutant]

Noticed it just today.
Downloaded.
Having no idea how to program it and being too lazy to RTFM, pushed some buttons and experimented a bit.
Created a nice pattern.
Hit "RUN".
Said "WOW".
Added Aradaz White ampsim and some room reverb.
Modulated some knobs.
Shouted "Whoahuauow".

It is good.

Thank you.